A struggling writer's take on photography

Updated on April 30, 2012

I will not bore you with the etymology. How does it matter how the word ‘Photography’ was formed? You the reader have hardly a few minutes to scan through - and hopefully savor - the fruit of my day’s labor. Moreover, this is after all a get rich quick prescription and as long as the dollars flow in, everything is fine. Actually I didn’t plan to say it at this stage, but now that I mentioned it, let me admit that this is actually not about serious photography – it’s only my attempt at writing a hub that promises to bring in the moolah with minimal effort.

Before I raise expectations unreasonably high, let me also admit that there is prima facie no reason why I should be writing this hub. For, let’s be clear - I have not made a fortune out of photography - or writing for that matter. But - but before you pronounce me incompetent and dismiss my hub, let me draw your attention to a familiar quote from George Bernard Shaw’s Man and Superman, which says “He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches”. Since this is a quote attributed to a famous philosopher, mathematician, dramatist and what not – even if he may not have actually subscribed to the thought - I am now on solid ground and have enough justification to write this hub, considering my formidable track record and impeccable credentials.

Now that we are through with establishing my credentials and some level of understanding, so that you don’t abruptly decide to abandon this page for some interesting tweet, let me confess that the primary motivation was not the realization that I was so eminently suited to take on this task; rather, it was the strong desire to produce a how-to-make-money-and-become-rich-overnight kind of hub that so many do, so successfully. It’s a me-too effort. The reader interest, search potential and all that technical jargon stuff also weighed heavily and was taken into consideration.

Well, coming to photography, there is very little that I can tell you. I mean there is so much that I can tell you, that I want to guard against any overenthusiastic display of knowledge to overwhelm you and impede your progress as a budding photographer. So in my usual style I will break it down into a few simple rules that will surely go a long way to make you into a monumental failure like me – I mean – I don’t know - something seems to be wrong here - but since we are on the same wavelength, I guess we can proceed.

It is not the camera but the person behind the camera. This is Rule Number One, which you can repeat to every aspiring photographer who asks you the obvious questions about gear (add this to your vocabulary – sophisticated term for camera and other accessories and equipments). If he is a newcomer, he will want to know which camera he should buy and if he has been around for a while, he will want to know whether he should upgrade and if so which model should he go in for. What I have done is to give you just one simple answer for all questions of this kind.

Source

I know that you as the reader will want to know what it means and since I cannot brush away my valuable readers, and I also cannot explain this abstract concept in too great a detail, I have put this picture alongside to explain. Just take a look at this or any other similar picture. It’s so simple to see how the person behind the camera is more important – and interesting - than the camera. That’s all there is to it.

Now lets go to Rule number twenty-two. No it wasn’t any serious memory lapse that made me jump from one to twenty two. I thought this hub would get a more impressive look if I somehow link it up with that brilliant book by Joseph Heller, but since we are discussing rules I couldn’t obviously put Catch22 there and make it seem a copy-paste job. So yes, rule number twenty-two is that if you want to invest small amounts on your gear, you will end up with cameras meant for hobbyists who use the automatic settings and do not sell their images. If you have to make serious money to leave your day-job, you will need outstanding images created through manual settings and interchangeable lenses on cameras which are capable of five or more megapixels, with brilliant resolution, clarity and saturation, low noise and high dynamic range. This will mean investing some good money, which you surely do not have (for otherwise why would you be reading this hub, or for that matter, why would I be writing this hub?) It’s very simple - you need to have money to start with, if you have to make money. But since most people start without money, the only alternative is to use their ordinary point-and-shoot to take some outstanding photographs by changing their name to Ansel Adams. I know this last statement contradicts rule number one but that is the complexity of photography playing itself out.

I think with twenty-two rules it should be possible for you to embark on a brand new career in painting with light. Please do not be disheartened by your age. Another great painter, Grandma Moses started her painting career at the age of seventy-four and went on to be one of America’s greatest artists, so that should be inspiration enough for you to start in right earnest.

I have provided the most critical twenty-two rules and the inspiration to take up photography. The rest is all yours. Remember the person behind the camera is most important. And interesting.

Finally - and this is most important - I hope in return, you will record how useful, brilliant or awesome this hub was, so that the traffic will come in and record a few page views on my barren daily report.